Machine for manufacturing wire mesh



June 28, 1960 o. SCHMID MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING WIRE MESH Filed Aug. 23, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1. Phase 2. Phase 1, Phase Inuen-bf:

June 28, 1960 o. SCHMID 2,942,630

MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING WIRE MESH Filed Aug. 23, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 gfl vev -o r O'H'o Schmi $19 g u s. Sin Km 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 In venlof:

0. SCHMID MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING WIRE MESH 6 5/ 8 5 an 6 7 T1 Pb 1 5 1 86 June 28, 1960 Filed Aug. 23, 1955 United States Patent. Chine 2,942,53fi Patented June 28, 1950 MACHINE FOR MANUFACTURING WIRE MESH Otto Schmid, Reutlingen, Germany, assignor to Wafios llaschinenfabrik Wagner, Ficker & Schmid, Reutlingen,

ermany Filed Aug. 2'3, 1955, Ser. No. 530,157. Claims priority, application Germany Aug. 24, 1954 5 Claims. (Cl. 140--6) The present invention relates to a netting machine for manufacturing hexagonal wire meshes.

Known machine for manufacturing such wire meshes have a supporting frame, which carries take-up means for taking up the manufactured wire mesh and for continuously moving the mesh. The supporting frame of the known machines has an upper and a lower part. Each of these parts is carrying a pair of netting beams. Each pair of these known netting beams is connected with shifting means for shifting the corresponding beams of the upper and lower parts of the frame during a first phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh in the same direction. This direction is transverse to the movement of the wire mesh. During the first phase the two beams of one of said pairs are shifted by these shifting means in opposite directions with respect to each other. These known shifting means are also adapted for maintaining the netting beams free of movement during a succeeding second phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh. Between the two beams of each pair of netting beams in the known machines there is a series of twisting pinions. Each of these pinions is diagonally split in two parts. Each of these parts of each of these twisting pinions is guiding one Wire and the series of the one parts of the twisting pinions is carried by one of the beams of said pair of netting beams. The series of the other parts of the twisting pinions is carried by the other beam of said pair of netting beams. One of the netting beams of each of the mentioned pairs of netting beams is movably carrying a twisting rack for movement with respect to this netting beam for rotating the twisting pinion, when there is relative movement between said twisting rack and netting beam.

The twisting rack of the known netting machines is moved by means of a crank. This has the disadvantage that the movement of the rack is stopped only when the crank is located at one of its dead-center positions, where the direction of movement of the rack is reversed. During its movement from one stopping point to the other stopping point, the rack fulfills two functions. In the above mentioned first phase it moves together with the netting beam which is carrying the rack. In the above mentioned second phase the beam is stopping and the rack moves with respect to the netting beam and this way rotating the twisting pinion. As the transfer from the first to the second phase is located between the two stopping points of the rack, the rack moves during this transfer from the first to the second phase, while the beams are stopping at this moment. This stopping of the beams during the movement of the rack causes shocks, so that the machine cannot be operated at a very high speed. The output of such a conventional machine therefore is undesirably limited.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks by providing a machine having a much higher output than a conventional machine for manufacturing a wire mesh.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine capable of automatically stopping the movement of the structure which twists the wires whenever the structure which shifts the wires transversely stops and capable of then moving part of the twisting structure with respect to the shifting structure.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide a netting machine capable of accomplishing all of the above objects and at the same time made up of simple and ruggedly constructed elements which are very reliable in operation.

With the above objects in view, the present invention mainly consists of a netting machine for manufacturing a hexagonal wire mesh and including a supporting frame and a take-up means carried by the frame for taking up the manufactured Wire mesh and for continuously moving the same. The supporting frame has an upper and a lower part, each of these parts is carrying a pair of netting beams. Each pair of these netting beams is connected with shifting means for shifting the corresponding beams of the upper and lower parts during a first phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh in the same direction. This direction is transverse to the movement of the wire mesh. I During the first phase the two beams of one of said pairs are shifted in opposite directions with respect to each other. The shifting means are also adapted for maintaining the netting beams free of move ment during a succeeding second phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh. Between the two netting beams of each pair of beams there is a series of twisting wheels. Each of these wheels is diagonally split in two parts and each of the parts of each of the twisting wheels is guiding at least one wire, and the series of the one parts of the twisting wheels are carried by one of the beams of one pair of netting beams, while the series of the other part of the twisting wheels are carried by the other beam of the same pair of netting beams. An operating means is movably carried by at least one of the netting beams of each of said pairs of netting beams for movement with respect to the netting beam for rotating the twisting wheels when there is a relative movement between the operating means and netting beam. A moving means is operatively connected to this operating means for moving the same together with the netting beam during the first phase for substantially stopping the movement of the operating means when the netting beam stops its movement as it approaches the end of the first phase, so that there is no relative movement between the netting beam and the operating means during the first phase and for then moving the operating means with respect to the netting beam at the start of and during the second phase, so that the twisting means operates during the second phase.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantage thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in'which:

Fig. 1 fragmentarily shows a part of the hexagonal wire mesh manufactured with the machine of the invention, Fig. 1 also showing symbols for identifying phases in the manufacture of the mesh;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, partly schematic side elevational view of the machine of the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of the machine of Fig. 2 as seen from the left side of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 are schematic partly sectional elevational views on an enlarged scale showing details of the structure for twisting and shifting the mesh during the manufacture thereof, Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 corresponding to sections taken'on the lines IV-'-IV resp. V-V I in Fig. 2 transversely through the machine of the invention. p

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary partly the machine of Fig. 2. Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen from Fig. 1 that the wire mesh manufactured with the maschematic top view of 4 v; ora

fixed to the drive shaft 16, clutch 18 shiftable on thedrive shaft '16 may be .used to transmit to the shaft chineof the invention is composed of hexagonal meshes each of which has "a pair of opposed parallel legs 1 formed by twisting together thewires of adjacent meshes,

these legs 1 extending in the direction of the arrow shown at the left of Fig. l and; indicating the direction inwhich the mesh moves to;a take-up means during'the manufacture of the mesh. Each of the meshesfurthermore includes separate wires 2 and 3 which are inclined with' respectto each other and witlrrespect to the feeding direction'of the mesh shown by the arrow at the left of Fig.1.'

The manufacture of the wire mesh shown in Fig. 1

takes place in two phases'which are repeated successively one after the other, and during the first phase, as is in dicated in Fig. -1,' the separate portions of wires 2 and to the feedingdirection shown by the-arrow of Fig. l, 7

during the first phase in order to provide the separate wire portions 2 and 3, and a twisting mechanismforms thelegs '1,while the mesh continues to move in the feeda ing direction without any lateral shifting.

' As is. indicated in Fig. 4 the machine includes a supporting frame 4 on which four shifting beams 5 which are also called fnetting beams are supported for longitudinal shifting movement.

'of right hand beams ofFig. 4 move togetherand the As is well known, the pair pair of left beams 5 of Fig. 4 move together, these pairs of beams moving in opposite directions with respect to 16 a rotational drive from a pulley 19 turnable on the shaft 16 and driven by any suitable belt drive. The

shaft 16 fixedly carries a pinion 20 to rotate the latter with the shaft :16, and this pinion 20 drives a gear 21 fixed to the shaft 22v which is turnably supported .together ;with shaft '16 .by the supporting frame 4, shaft 22 being parallel to shaft 16. The shaft 22 carries a drum 24 for: rotationtherewith,,and-this drum 24' is provided with a cam. groove '23, from =which movement is transmitted in a known way by shifting means, elg'; a crank 37 and levers; 38 and 3 9; the latter being cpnnected by a shaft 40, to the shifting bear'ns'j for shifting the latter in'the manner describedabove."- This structure for shifting the beams 5 in responsewto the rotation of the grooved drum 24 is purely conventional and forms no part of the carries 'theltransporting roll:13. it.

In accordance with thepresent inventionjthe gear 21 carries :a crankpin 30 on whichi-a roller 31 is turnable so that elements 21,1 30, 31fformi a .crankmeans which is some of which are Sh Wnin'Eig Z and .which fixedly,

frotatably supportedby the supporting frame4. The. :crankpin 30. and roller 31f extend. into an elongated camming cutout 32 of acam'which is fixed to the canriage33 w ich'is supported for shifting movement to the right and left, as viewed in Fig. 2 ,by the guides 34 of the supporting frame 4. The carriage 33 is fixed to a beam 35.which is ,in turn fixed tocross-head s- 36 which are each other during each first phase in the manufacture of the wiremesh. The right hand beams 5 of Fig. 4 are respectively formed with elongated cutouts in which racks 6 are respectively located for longitudinal shifting movement with respect to the beams 5. These racks 6irespectively cooperate with pinions 7 fixed to and carried by the twisting devices which in the illustrated example include multiple-part members 8 which; are known under the name twisting pinion turnably car.- ried by and distributed along the beams 5. The wire 2 is drawn from a supply spool 9 and guided through one- "half of the multiple-part twisting members 8, while the other wire 3 of eachrnesh is taken from asupp'ly spool 10 lo'cated within a housing 11 carried by the other half of each twisting member 8. Thus, thereare as many spools 9 as there are wires 2 and as many spools 10 as there are wires 3, and each pair of wires 2 and 3 passes 4, each split twisting member 8 carries a pair of guides 8?, and these pairs of. guidesare arranged in two series located on opposite sides; respectively, of theabove mentioned central plane to' whichflthe transporting roll 13 'is tangential. This roll 13 le -provided with projections 12 which. extend into the meshes so that upon clockwise turning of roll 13, as viewed in Fig.1 4,the

' mesh 14 will move up to and 'around the transport roll.

fixed to the racks 6.

In accordance with the present invention, the elongated cam cut out 3-2 is substantially S-shaped, as shown in Fig.2. This cutout 32 is provided with an intermediate camming surface portion which is engaged by the crank 30, 31 whenever the'latterjs at its dead-center positions at which the 'direction of movement of the carriage 33 and racks 6 is reversed, that is, atthe extreme right and left hand positions of the crank39, 31, as viewed in Fig. 2, during rotation of the'crank. On. opposite sides of this intermediate camming surface portion, respectively, the

'13 to be wound onto a spool 15, rolls 13 and.15;forrning a take-up means for taking up the finishedfmesh and transporting the samein the feeding direction during the manufacture thereof. 5 Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, itwillbe seen that the" machine includes a drive shaft 16 which may be manually turned with the hand-wheel 17'carried by and cam groove 32 is formed with a pair of curved camming surface portions32' which respectively extendalong the path through which the crank 30, 31 turns when this crank respectively engages the camnnng surface portions '32.

It is evident, therefore, that, the movement of carriage 33 and the racks 6therewith will stop completely, or almost completely, four times during a revolution of the crank means 21,30, 31. In other words carriage 33'a nd racks 6 will'stop'atthe opposite dead-center positions of the crankwith 'respectto the-beam35 and when the crank engages the-camming surface portions 32'.

'The crank isiso' arranged that it is in its dead-center positions'with re spect'to beam" 35 duringa transfer from the second phase to a first phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh, andtl'ie cutout 32 is formed so that during-'a -tran'sfer from-a first t'o'a second phase the'circular movement o'f the; crank and h the I shifting -movement of the carriage 33 compensate 'each'other due to the fact that at this 'tiine tlie crank engage'slon'of the portions example -sliown, thle shaft 22 drives following a dead-center position of the crank the shifting beams 5 are brought to a stop while the racks 6 are completely, or almost completely stopped with the beams which carry the same and are then again set into motion, with respect to the beams 5, until the end of this half revolution when the racks 6 again stop their movement. Thus, the transfer from a first phase to a second phase is located between the dead-center positions of the crank, and this transfer takes place when the crank engages one of the camming surface portions 32' where the curvature of the camming surface corresponds to and coincides momentarily with the path through which the crank turns.

The machine of the present invention operates in two phases. In the first phase the netting beams 5 are shifted in opposite direction relative to each other and during this first phase the slanted portions 2 and 3 of the hexagonal wire meshes are formed. During this first phase of the cycle the racks 6 move together with the netting beams 5 in which they are located respectively so that no relative movement occurs between the racks and these netting beams and so that the twisting wheels 8 are not turned. During the second phase of the operation the netting beams 5 remain at rest, whereas the racks 6 are moved relative to the netting means so that the twisting wheels 8' are turned about their axes. During this second phase of the cycle the twisted portions 1 of the wire meshes are produced. However, it has to be kept in mind that the two described phases are produced during rotation of the crank means through an angle of 180 and that, therefore, during each full revolution of the gear 21 two first and two second phases will occur.

During each full revolution of the gear 21 the racks 6 will therefore stop completely, or almost completely, four times. The racks 6 will stop at the two deadccnter positions of the cam follower 3 1, that is, in the position shown in Fig. 2, and in the position wherein this cam follower is moved to a position 180 displaced from the position shown. When the gear 21 moves in counterclockwise direction from the position shown in Fig. 2 the racks 6 will be displaced to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, during turning of the gear 21 for approximately 30. During this time the netting beams 5 in which the racks 6 are respectively located are also moved by the shifting means comprising the drum 24 and the cranks 37, 38, 39 in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the racks 6 so that no relative movement between these netting beams and the racks occur. The movement of the netting beams 5 then stops and the first phase of the operation is finished. As the movement of the netting beams stops the gear 21 continues to rotate, but at this moment the cam follower 31 will pass through the curved part 32' of the cam groove 32, which curved part has the same center as the gear 21 and therefore the path of the cam follower 31 will be concentric to the shape of the cam groove and when the cam follower 31 passes through this curved part of the-cam groove the carriage 33 will not be moved. During this period the racks 6 will also remain at rest. Therefore, at the end of the first phase the racks 6 will stop at the same time the netting beams carrying the racks stop. During the further rotation of the gear 21 the cam follower 31 will pass through the straight bottom portion of the cam groove 32 and the carriage 33 will continue to move to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, the racks 6 will move relative to the stationary netting beams 5 and the twisting wheels 8 will be turned about their axes, producing the twisted portions 1 of the wire meshes until the cam follower 31 reaches its deadcenter position 180 displaced from the deadcenter position shown in Fig. 2. The second phase of the cycle is finished when the cam follower 31 reaches this second deadcenter position. As the gear 21 continues its movement another first and second phase as described above are produced.

Thus, it will be seen that the beams 5 form a shifting means for shifting the mesh transversely with respect to its feeding direction while elements 6-8 form a twisting means for twisting together the successive wires of the mesh in the manner shown in Fig. 1. The racks 6 form an operating means of the twisting means which operates the twisting means, and the carriage 33 and beam 35 as well as the crank means and cam means all cooperate together to form a moving means for moving the operating means formed by the racks 6.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of Wire mesh manufactuning machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a wire mesh manufacturing machine of high output, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invent-ion.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are in,- tended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by .Letters Patent is:

1. In a netting machine for manufacturing a wire mesh, in combination, a supporting frame; an elongated netting beam supported for longitudinal shifting movement by said frame, said netting beam being formed with an elongated longitudinal cutout; a rack slidable in said cutout of said beam for longitudinal shifting movement with respect to said beam; a carriage shiftably carried by said frame for movement in a direction parallelto said netting beam and rack and fixed to the latter for moving said rack with said carriage; a crank rotatably carried by said frame; means operatively connected to said crank for turning the same; and a cam on said carriage and formed with a substantially S-shaped cutout into which said crank extends so that the turning of said crank is transmitted through said cam and carriage to said rack, said cutout having an intermediate portion accommodating said crank when the latter is at its dead-center positions where the direction of movement of said carriage and rack is reversed and having on opposite sides of said intermediate portion, respectively, a pair of curved portions extending along the path through which said crank turns when the latter is in said pair of curved portions of said cutout.

2. In a netting machine for manufacturing a hexagonal wire mesh, in combination, a supporting frame; take-up means carried by said frame for taking up the manufactured wire mesh and for moving the same in a first direction; at least one pair of netting beams carried by said frame for movement in a second direction transverse to said first direction; shifting means for shifting said netting beams in said second direction and opposite to each other during a first phase in the manufacture of the Wire mesh and for maintaining said netting beams at rest during a succeeding second phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh; a plurality of twisting wheels carried by said netting beams, each of said twisting wheels being diagonally split in two parts, each of which guiding at least one'wire, one of the parts of each of said twisting wheels being carried by one of the beams of said pair of netting beams and the other of said parts of said plurality of twisting wheels being carried by the other of said beams of said pair of netting beams; operating means movably carried by at least one of said netting beams for movement with respect to said netting beams and for rotating said twisting wheels during relative movement between said operating means and said netting beams;

of said operating means at the end of said first phase and for then moving said operating means with respect to .said netting beams during said second phase so that said twistinglwheels are turned during said second phase and .drive mean s operatively connected to said shifting means 7 and said moving means for simultaneously driving the Same.f e r. ,7

a -I 3. In a netting machine for manufacturing a 'he xag- 1 onal wire mesh,;in combination, a supporting frame;

take-up means carriedby said frame for taking up'the manufactured. wire mesh and for moving the same in a' first direction; atleast one pair of netting beams carried by said frame for movement in a second direction transverse to said first direction; shifting means for shifting both of said netting beams in said second directionand opposite to each other during a first phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh and for maintaining said netting beams at rest during a succeeding secondphase in the manufactureof the wire mesh; a plurality of twisting pinions, carried by said netting beams, each of said twisting-pinions being diagonally split in 'two parts, each i of which guiding at-least one wire, oneof the parts of each of said twisting pinions being carr-ied by'one ,of

' said pair of netting beams and-the otheroflsaid parts of each of said twisting pinions being carried'by the other ,of saidipa'ir of netting beams; a rack engaging said pinions and being movably carried 'by one of said netting beams for movement relative-thereto in longitudinal direction and for rotating said twisting pinions during relative movement between said rackandthe netting beam carrying said rack; moving means operatively connected to said rack for moving the same during said first phase in the same direction and at the same speed as the netting beam by which said rack is carried ismoved by said shifting means so that no relativetrnovement occurs between said netting beam and said rack, for stopping the'movement of said rack at the end of said first phase, and for then moving said rack further in said direction while said netting beams remain at rest during said sec: ond phase so that said twisting pinions are turned during said second phase; and drive means operatively connected to said shifting means and to said moving means for simultaneously driving the same. V

4. In a netting machine for manufacturing a hexagonal wire mesh,'in combination, a supporting frame; take-up means carried by said frame for taking up the manufactured wire mesh and for moving the same in a first direction; at least one pair 'of netting beams carried by said frame for movement in a second direction transverse to said first direction; shifting means for shifting both of said netting beams in said second direction and opopsite to each other during a first phase in the manufacture'of the wire mesh and for maintaining s'aid netting beams at rest during a succeeding second; phase in the manufacture of the wire mesh; a plurality of twisting pinions carried by said netting beams, each of said twisting pinions being diagonally split-in two parts,'each of which guiding at least one wire, one of the parts of eachfof said twisting pinions being carried byone of said' pair of netting .beams andthe other of said parts of each of said twisting 'pinions .beingjcarried by -the .otherof said pair'of netting beams; a, rack engaging moves with respect to the frame; crank meanstturnably 'carried by said supporting frame; cam means" on said carriage and engaged by said crank means "for moving said carriage 'and said rack connected thereto during'said first phase in the sam'e direction and at the sa'm'eIspeed as the netting beambyi which said rack is carried is moved by said shiftingmeans so that no relative movement r occurs, between said nettingbeam and, said rack, for stopping the movement of said carriage and said rack connected thereto at the. endof said first phase, and for then moving said carriage and said rack connected thereto further in said directionwbile said netting beams remain at rest during said second phase so that said twisting pinions are turnedduring' said second phase; a nd drivemeans operatively connected to'said shifting means and to said crank means for simultaneouslysdrivm.- V 1 v; U V

7 5 In; anetting machinefonmanufacturing a hexagonal wire mesh, in combination, ja supporting frame; take-up means carried by said frame for takingup the manu: factured wire mesh and for' moving the'same in a first direction; at least one pair 0f nettingbeams carriedby saidfframe for movement in a seconddirection' transverse V to said first direction; shifting means for shiftingboth of said nettingbeams in said second directionv and opposite to each other during a first phase inpthe manufacture of the wire mesh and for maintaining said netting beams at rest during a succeeding'second phase inithe manufacture of the Wire mesh; a plurality of twisting pinions carried by said netting beams, each of said twist-- jng pinions being diagonally split in two parts, each of which; guiding at least one ,wire, one of the parts of each of said twisting pinions being carried by one of said pair of netting beams and the other of said parts of each of said twisting pinions being carried by the other of said pair of netting beams; a rack engaging said pinions and being movably carried by one of said netting beams for movement relative thereto in longi- 'tudinalidirection and for rotating said twisting pinions during relative movement between said rack'and the netting beam carrying said rack; a crank turnably carried by said supporting frame; a carriagercarried by said supporting frame for reciprocating movement and fixedly connected to said'rack for moving the latter, said carriage being formed with an elongated-camming groove,

"said crank turns when the latter engages said additional camming surface portions, whereby the movement of said carriage and rack is stopped when saidc'rank engages each'of said camming surface portions and said crank engages said intermediate camming surface portion at the start of said first phase and said additional camming surface portions 'at the end of said fir st phase while said netting beams are at. rest; and drive means operatively connected to said shifting means and to said crank for simultaneously the same i References Cited the'file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS "502,148 Tatro my 25, 1893 902,198 Barlow Oct, 27, 1908 r 923,771 Cla'udin June 1,1909

1,936,93i 7 Bradley Nov. 28, 1933 FOREIGN PATENTS 7 823,136; Germany Nov. 29, 1951 was 

